Daybreak
by Megami.Muteki
Summary: Hinata Hyūga realizes there's only one person who can help her from this predicament; Sasuke Uchiha, last of his clan and the ninja world's hero. Post War. SasuHina. Spoilers.
1. Chapter 0

A/N: Welcome to the _new_ Daybreak. Rewritten, new plot, and all that good jazz. Enjoy.

Don't worry too much about how small this chapter is, the actual chapters will be at least 4,000 - 5,000 words each.

Disclaimer: I do not own_ NARUTO_.

* * *

_Daybreak_

_Chapter Zero_

_Prologue_

The faint rustle of the thick curtains and humming birds caused pearl colored eyes to crack open just a bit. The beholder of said eyes yawned and stretched, arms above her head before sighing and rolling to get out of bed. Walking across the wooden floor towards her bathroom, the nineteen year old Hyūga ran a hand threw her tangled mane of hair as it fell in knots down her back.

As she got ready for her day, she counted how long it's been. Seven months, a week and three days since the war had been over. Putting her toothbrush back, Hinata undressed and got in the shower for a much needed wash. Ever since Neji's death, the nightmares haunted her every dream. He always looked so peaceful as she held him in his last few minutes, and he died on Naruto's shoulder every time. Almost every night, she woke up sobbing. His face was burned into her memory, making it impossible to sleep after that.

Sighing, she let her thoughts go for now and focused on drying her body before throwing her clothes on. After drying her hair, she brushed it out, the locks falling all the way down her back. Idly, she fingered a piece of hair between her fingers, wondering if her mother would've liked how much she looked like her. She really wished her mother was still alive. Rubbing her eyes with the heel of her wrist, a knock broke her thoughts.

"Come in," she called, her voice matured but it still had a smooth ring to it.

Hanabi Hyūga strolled gracefully in and closed the door behind her. Hinata glanced up to see her baby sister, four years her junior, and offered her a smile, which was instantly returned. She looked like a female version of their father, much to his delight. Chestnut brown hair that was bluntly cut just below her shoulder blades. A few stray long locks fell in her lilac eyes before pale fingers brushed them away. She had a skinny, slender body, which Hinata would chose over her own curvier figure any day. Bigger assets were helpful for seduction missions, but Hyūga females didn't go on those kinds of missions, so they were hindering Hinata in fights and spars. Hanabi had their father's sharp features, but her long eyelashes and full lips were something their father lacked. That trait was from their late mother.

"Good morning, ane." Hanabi leaned against the door and observed her sister as she sat on her vanity.

Hinata smiled. "Good morning, imouto. Did you sleep well?" The two sisters only used the affectionate terms if her father or the clan elders weren't around to hear.

The younger nodded, a slight hum in her throat. "Yes. How about you?" She already knew the answer, but it was polite to ask.

Remembering the nightmares from the night before, Hinata shook her head. "Same. Is there something you need?" Standing from her vanity, she made sure she had every thing with her before looking back up.

"Yes. Otousama wants to see us, in his office. He has important news for the both of us." With that being said, she opened the door and lead the way down the hall.

Not one to ask too many questions, Hinata followed her sister, noticing that she was getting taller. Then again, she was newly sixteen years old. She grew a lot faster than her older sister. Hinata had one, small, growth spurt and it was only a few inches. They walked silently through the maze of the halls before Hanabi knocked. After a moment of silence, they were granted entrance. Both sisters bowed before sitting down on the two mats next to each other.

Hiashi Hyūga never showed his emotions, unless they were anger or disappointment, openly. But, it didn't take a doujutsu to see that their usually composed father was stressing over something. His body, draped in dark robes, was tense and uneasy. The sisters waited for him to say anything, but the room was eerily silent for another minute. Worry and dread crept in their bodies before he finally glanced at his daughters.

"Hinata." Said daughter sat up a little straighter, eyes more focused as she was addressed. "You haven't been my heir for years. The elders have forced my hand in this matter, though I would rather have left it up to you. And although you are a main house member, the second main house heir becomes the branch house heir. That comes as no surprise." His jaw clenched and suddenly, he wasn't looking at her but, somewhere far away. "Neji left no heir to the branch, and the elders ruled that you will take his place."

Two pairs of lilac eyes widened upon hearing the implication of his words. Hanabi glanced nervously at her sister. Hinata had told her, multiple times, that the title of Head belonged solely to Neji and Hanabi. Hinata wanted nothing to do with running the clan. She acknowledged that she was too nice and generous. She lacked the leadership and confidence to run a clan. Though, it hadn't occurred to them that the elders wanted to demote her from the main house to the branch. That would mean she would have to be sealed. By the empty look overtaking her older sister's eyes, Hanabi saw that she understood that last fact too.

Before Hanabi got to say anything to their father, he added, "I do not want to see you be given that fate. I've been looking through the laws of our clan, and there is two ways to get off a situation like this."

Hinata's fist tightened, her face now looked determined.

Seeing as both were going to remain silent and wait for him to continue, he did. "One, death." Both sisters tensed up. That was an automatic no. "Two, marry into another clan, with the approval of the council. Since the first option is out of the question, the second is your only chance."

Hinata nearly choked on her own saliva. Marriage? She was only nineteen! Granted, most traditional clans married their heirs in arranged marriages at their third birthday, the Hyūga had outlawed that well before her father's birth. Besides that, there were only a few clans that the Hyūga would deem acceptable of their genes.

She already knew how the elder's felt of her teammate's clans, and although there was respect in those feelings, there was also the feeling of being superior. The elder's would not accept the Aburame or Inuzuka. That was obvious. There were only two other males she was comfortable enough to get married to; and Shikamaru was already involved with that Sand kunochi and the elder's would not approve of the Akimichi either. The only other clan that she could think of was the Uchiha, and they were long since gone, except for Sasuke.

She really didn't want to entertain the thought of being an Uchiha. Not that there was anything wrong with them, but she didn't know how well that would go with the council. A main house member being married to Konoha's traitor? Was he even considered a traitor, since he played a huge role in stopping and putting an end to the Fourth Shinobi War? The world saw him and Naruto as heroes.

Hiashi watched as his daughter struggled to think and process everything. She seemed to come to a terrifying realization. He stopped her thinking at that moment, "They are giving you three months to find a suitor. If not, you will be branded and forced to the branch house. Both of you are dismissed."

They hastily stood, bowing quickly before turning out of the room.

Hiashi's voice stopped their feet dead in their tracks. "I am sorry, Hinata." For the first time in their lives, his voice sounded sincere.

With a low sigh, she nodded, not feeling up to it to turn around. "I am sorry, for not being a stronger heir, father."

She brushed past her sister gracefully before walking down the hall. Hanabi worriedly followed.

* * *

A/N: Hope you all liked it so far. Tell me what you think. Comments, questions, concerns, flames - whatever you like. I didn't want to write too much in the prologue so I did have to delete some stuff. ^-^" I got a _bit_ too carried away.

Favorite, follow, review :)


	2. Chapter 1

A/N: In the first chapter (prologue) I promised the chapters will be 4,000 - 5,000 words and I did it. :) Word count without A/N: 5,234

Disclaimer: I do not own_ NARUTO_.

* * *

_Daybreak_

_Chapter One:_

_So She Smiled_

Sasuke Uchiha would say that Konoha had changed since he had last been there. That was probably because Pain, or Nagato using Yahiko's body, had very easily leveled the village to the ground. He hadn't been aware of that at the time, as he was preoccupied with more important matters, but he soon found out. The buildings stood a bit firmer, and looked relatively new. But, he didn't really give a damn, to be brutally honest.

Once the war was finished, Tsunade only wasted a day before assigning the last Uchiha with his punishment. He never met a woman he didn't like as much as the Fifth. He figured it was because of her blood; Senju. Uchiha and Senju were mortal enemies, so it was reasonable to assume they just didn't get along. She found almost every way possible to get under his skin. Always smirking with a hidden agenda whenever her eyes landed on him. Most of their arguments ended in fists and desks being thrown around her office. He wasn't one to fight with a woman, much less a sixty year old woman, but the old bat usually started it.

She, first, had to talk with her council about the punishment. Sadly, they thought differently than she and assigned Sasuke to be watched by ANBU for six months. If he was good, they would not extend the punishment. If anything happened during these six months, be it a fight or a threat from the Uchiha, he would be forced into house arrest for another six months. He grudgingly complied and tried his best not to beat up his best friend whenever he was taunting him in public, when the ANBUs were watching silently.

"Sasuke, come on! I told you Granny called us both in to her office!" A screaming blonde called from somewhere in the Uchiha manor.

With an annoyed sigh, the twenty year old Uchiha took long strides towards where he knew his teammate would be. He grunted in greeting before strolling out of the home, not even bothering to look back.

Naruto ran to catch up with him. Once they were walking side by side, out of the Uchiha gates, he glared at him. "You seem rather friendly today," Naruto said, sarcastically.

To which went ignored. Though he had heard, Sasuke was wrapped up in his own thoughts. He had been off of that "probation" and was allowed to take missions, although Naruto had to be with him every step of the way. He was genuinely surprised to see someone he was once jealous of become so strong, possible even stronger than he. They didn't really know. Each of their spars had ended in ties, both falling at the same time. It was frustrating, and also refreshing to the brooding Uchiha. Naruto was the only thing that hadn't changed in the village, and the familiarity was greatly welcomed. Although he hated sleeping in the same tent as the obnoxious blonde because he snored way too loudly and tended to think an unamused Sasuke was his teddy bear, he also enjoyed the feeling of belonging.

Without him realizing it, they had arrived at the Hokage building. Naruto had been talking the entire way, which was ignored, until Sasuke sighed.

"- and then Kiba crashed through the wall! I already had a little sake so I was out of it, _if ya' know what I mean_, so I thought Akamaru was some kind of pony because - honestly, could you blame me? - he's the size of one and I...Hinata-chan?"

They arrived at the Hokage's office, only to see the long, dark navy hair that belonged to one Hinata Hyūga. At the mention of her name, hair flowed to the side of her while she looked back at the two tall males. There was a faint redness in her eyes, and a lack of it in her face which tipped him off a bit. She was either sick or had been crying not too long ago. This wasn't the first time they had come in contact, but he didn't pay her any mind, as she was too quiet to demand attention. She was another major change to the village. Her hair was longer; cheeks thinner; figure fuller and curvier and eyes more mature. She looked more like a royal lady than a ninja of the Hyūga clan, who prided them self as fierce warriors. One thing passed in his mind at that moment: Hinata was a bit too attractive to be a ninja.

She offered them a small, sad, smile before turning back to busty woman sitting on her desk.

"Good," Tsunade stated before shuffling through papers on her desk. Grabbing one of the mission details, she handed it to Hinata. "All three of you have been assigned to a track and retrieval mission. Hinata, since your Byakugan is the longest range in your clan, you will be vital to tracking down that rogue ninja and you're also captain since you are Jounin. Naruto and Sasuke, you're the muscle. You are to leave sometime today, as soon as you all are ready. I want this done swiftly and quietly as possible. I have informed the Mizukage and she has given this mission the go ahead." With that, she dismissed them with a flick of her wrist before yelling for Shizune as they walked out.

The three walked out of the tower, and decided to meet up at the front gate in two hours. Hinata quickly departed from them. Naruto looked worriedly after her, and slightly confused, but decided not to comment while the other two began walking down the main road. He soon left with a warning of, "You better be at the gate on time, bastard!" and a _'poof'_ of smoke.

* * *

"That idiot is late."

With a scowl on his face, the lone Uchiha leaned against the front gate. He was there five minutes ago. Exactly two hours after they left the office. Not that he was surprised to notice that Naruto was running late, but it was a bit odd for the Hyūga. Weren't all Hyūgas punctual and anal about following the rules? Well, from what he heard, the Hyūga princess was always a rule breaker in her own, shy way. She was nice and kind while the other Hyūgas were hard and cold.

Speaking of the girl, woman really, she came into his vision and appeared in front of him. _'Hm. At least she's kind of fast.'_

"S-Sorry I'm late! I lost track of the time," Hinata sighed out, a hand nervously brushing back her long hair from her face.

"Just don't make it a habit."

She looked to his face, only to see him turn his attention to somewhere behind her and a booming voice called out, "Woah! I was helping the old lady across the street find her cat - "

"Save it, loser," Sasuke frowned as the blonde neared. "Your excuses are lamer than Kakashi's."

A blonde brow twitched, "This time I'm telling the truth, bastard!"

"Just like the last mission, when the dog broke into your place and stole your gear?"

"It was a _raccoon_!"

Hinata, standing off to the side of them a bit, coughed to get their attention. They turned quickly to see wide lavender eyes stare back, and her thin fingers pointed to the dirt road outside of the main gate. "We should go now so we can travel until nightfall..?"

She knew there was huge gap in stamina and strength between her and Team Seven but she thought she would, at the least, be able to keep up. She was smacked with reality when they had finally hit the fifth hour mark and her lungs started burning. Thankfully, it wasn't too long until sunset and she just keep pushing her shaking legs.

They hadn't seemed to notice how tired she was until they stopped bickering over sleeping arrangements as a quiet_ thump_ was heard. Long hair sprawled out around her head, touching everything in it's path as the body it was attached to was curled slightly to the right side. With a smile, Naruto slumped on the left side while Sasuke, reluctantly but happy he won't be kicked or molested by Naruto in their sleep, and took the right. He tossed her blanket lazily over her before doing the same to himself.

* * *

They had been traveling for hours.

"Are we there yet?"

"No."

It was silent for two minutes.

"Are we there _yet_?"

"_No_."

"Why!"

"I will Chidori you into the next century if you don't _shut up_."

Naruto huffed, muscled arms crossing over his chest childishly. He leaned down to the woman next to him and said, none too quietly, "Someone slept on the wrong side of the tent, eh, Hinata-chan?"

With a nod, Hinata turned and tried to hide her blush in the collar of her Jounin flask. She honestly didn't want to remember that morning. It was awkward and embarrassing. Of course Naruto didn't know anything of it because he was still practically dead to the world and snoring. She hadn't expected Sasuke to be so close to her. Apparently, she liked to cuddle in her sleep.

The blush on her face tippled at at the memory of that morning.

She was the one hanging over, practically on top of the Uchiha! He faced the top of the tent while her thigh was resting over his legs, curling into them as her hands lay flat on his, _bare_, chest. Movement from his body caused her to finally stir. Lavender met with the amused pair of very, very sparkling dark gray. It took a little while to register, but she had turned the brightest shade of red and nervously pushed away from him. He didn't say anything to her stumbled apologies, just nodded and slipped his shirt back on.

It went on like that until they stopped at a civilian village close to the coast. They had covered a lot of ground in the span of two days, as it usually took four or five days to get to Kirigakure. Hinata wasn't really surprised at that. Naruto and Sasuke were the strongest ninja in the world. Of course they could get to the Mist Village in half the time it would take for normal ninjas like herself.

Although she was tired, and very sore from yesterday's journey and the four hours it took to get to this village, Hinata agreed to get the rooms for them all. After a few minutes, she was able to snag three rooms for them, thankfully all next to each other so they wouldn't be too far from each other. The other two agreed that she was staying in the middle room and ignored her confused stares.

"You're the captain," Sasuke said plainly as they continued up to their rooms in the elevator. "If something happens, it will be easier for you to contact us this way."

With hesitance, she nodded. That sounded logical...Then she blushed and ducked her head. What kind of captain was she if she didn't at least know that? Not a very good one!

It was about an hour later when there was a knock on her room door. She had gotten out of the shower not too long ago and put her damp hair up in a quick bun as she read over their mission scroll. Putting the scroll down and walking to the door, her eyes caught the sight of a grinning Naruto holding up take-out bags in front of a bored looking Uchiha.

"We got dinner!" The blonde exclaimed. "Hope you like extra large miso ramen!"

She moved aside to let them through before closing the door behind them. "Miso is my favorite ramen."

Her team was already huddled by the table. Naruto sat across from his best friend, practically inhaling the noodles. With a disgusted look, Sasuke swatted his head. "Have some manners, dobe."

Blue eyes glared before his chopsticks quickly picked up a tomato slice and shoved it in his full mouth. "Who adds tomatoes to ramen? You're weird, bastard!"

By that time, Hinata was already sitting with them and eating as well. Her eyes lit up a bit. The ramen here was good! Though, not as good as Ichiraku. She doubted anyone could top her village's ramen.

Before she knew it, she had zoned out again and was thinking about the mission. This missing nin was mentally unstable war veteran from the Fourth War. His son, whom was also in the war, had recently died from being in a coma. As the loss of her only child, his wife took her own life, only to be found the next day hanging in their backyard. After the death of those important to him, the man went into a rage, storming over to the hospital and attacked the staff that took care of his comatose son. Before he could be apprehended, he fled the village and had been missing ever since.

It was such a tragedy. Her eyes dropped back to her ramen. Many things happened after the war. Though most were not like that, there were still grieving families and children. Her mood immediately turned slightly depressive as she thought about her late cousin.

Neji's death hit everyone in the clan, and outside of the clan, very hard. The hardest that seemed impacted with his death was Hiashi, her father. Hanabi wasn't as close to Neji as Hinata was, and was distraught and angry with the news. Hiashi kept himself away from everyone for a month or two after his nephew's funeral. One night while Hinata was taking her father's nightly tea, she had heard weeping from his office. With a heavy heart, she handed off the tray quickly to a maid before rushing into her room.

"Hinata-chan? Why the sad face?"

She lifted her head up to meet the curious gazes of her teammates. She gave them a small, shaky smile. "N-No reason! Sorry."

Naruto threw her a disbelieving look while Sasuke observed the two quietly chewing. "Hinata-chan, we're friends so you can tell us anything that's bothering you."

With her chopsticks, she twirled the noodles around for a second. "It's...um, nothing to worry about. Just my father and the council again."

Suddenly in serious mode, Naruto stopped slurping his broth and placed down the bowl. His lips formed a thin line. Sasuke leaned back a bit, interested in this change of emotion.

"Great. Those bastards always have something to force on you. What is it this time?"

No matter how close they were, Hinata wasn't too sure how he would take this news. She considered him her best friend. They went through a lot, too much for one lifetime, together, but that's all they would be - friends. He hadn't taken a romantic interest in her and she hadn't the backbone to follow up with her confession. He also gave her great advice, when he was being serious, and knew how to maneuver around the law. He could really help her...

"I have three months to find a husband or I will be sealed as a branch memb -"

A tan fist slammed on the wooden table, making the female of the team jump in surprise and a pair of oxyn eyes glance curiously at his best friend. "Those bastards! They can't do that to you! You're the first born!"

Her eyes softened as she listened to him. Naruto wasn't from a clan, and didn't know too much about their politics and laws. unfortunately, the council could basically do whatever they wanted as long as they had majority of the vote and it also abided by the village's laws.

Breaking the silence, Sasuke shook his head. "Doesn't matter who was born first."

"I also haven't been heir since we were Genin..."

Huffing, the blonde settled a bit and crossed his arms over his chest. "So that gives them the right to marry you off?"

Sasuke leaned his elbow on the table. "They aren't marrying her off, dobe. Weren't you listening?"

A foot slammed into the chair the avenger sat on and tipped him backwards. Quickly grabbing the table to steady himself, Sasuke stomped on the blonde's foot, earning a yelp.

Hinata watched the mishaps of the two and returned her focus on eating for the time being. For now, she just enjoyed the casual atmosphere around them. This is the last mission she would be going on, unless it was urgent, until she found a suitable husband. Though, they didn't need to know that just yet.

Her problems and burdens was no concern of theirs, and they probably didn't want to hear it anyway.

So she smiled.

* * *

The mission was uneventful after that. It had taken three days to locate their target, one day to capture him, three more days to drag him back to the Mist, and five and a half days to travel back home. It had taken them about two weeks to complete the mission.

Once she arrived back to the compound, the elders and her father had been pestering her about finding a suitor. Hanabi offered her help, and although Hinata refused politely, her little sister decided to help anyway. The maids and branch members even dropped little tips. Two of her more mischievous older female cousins handed her a book with the title "How To Get A Husband For Dummy's". Hinata's face had been so red, she dashed out of the compound, while her cousins giggled amongst themselves.

Now, still with the embarrassing book in her hands, Hinata walked down the quiet, dark roads of Konoha. She didn't usually take midnight walks so far on the outskirts of the village, but it was easier to see the stars when she was further away from all the night lights.

It was a chilly night so she was thankful for her jacket. The wind whipped rather harshly, flinging her long hair to wildly swing around her.

The big, looming trees above her were a bit intimidating as they lined the dirt road winding around the lush grass. The trees split and on her right was a high, stone wall with a giant, worn out, painting of a white and red fan. About a hundred feet forward was a massive metal gate, closed.

The Uchiha Mannor.

It was the dead of night, and the only sound for miles was crickets or small animals wondering around. It looked almost peaceful and tranquil. Until there was a defining scream. It was a heart-breaking sound.

Her heart rate excelled as she realized that it came from such a frightening place. Pearl colored eyes looked up to the house she was walking past.

The dark, rusty gate creaked as the curious young women pushed past it. The once lovely land was reduced to over-grown weeds, dead plants, cracked buildings and an eerie feeling of death. No matter who came to destroy the village, the grounds where a once powerful clan was murdered still stood. That thought scared the Hyūga into walking quickly to the house where her friend's teammate resided in.

A body appeared before her. She really should have expected that. This was Uchiha Sasuke. He was the most skilled ninja in the world, and in history as well. The only person to surpass Uchiha Madara himself. The power and electricity radiating from his body sped up her heart accelerate.

She knew his chakra nature was fire and lightening. Her's was water and wind. Ironically enough, her elements neutralize his. Being so close to someone of his caliber, and his shirtless body, Hinata's natural reaction was to back away. So she did. Only to be staring up at his eyes.

Something smacked her in the chest, and it wasn't anything physical. It was the emotion she could see. Agony, longing, and the feeling of helplessness.

Not once on any of the fourteen days they had been on a mission together had she seen such raw emotion from the Uchiha. He was extremely guarded and refused to be read. It had frustrated her in the beginning, but she eventually understood his reasons and hadn't tried to analyze his actions too deeply.

To a normal eye, Sasuke was the definition of cold, hard and heartless.

To Hinata, he looked broken and lost within himself. He was struggling with inner demons, that was obvious. Something was eating at him. His eyes were suddenly...empty. Void of everything she had previously saw.

He looked like a puppet.

She almost wanted to laugh at how accurate that was. Since birth, Sasuke had been used. Manipulated by his brother throughout his childhood and teen years, used for years by Orochimaru and Kabuto then brainwashed by Madara.

This kid never had a life. It was ripped away from him then filled with the burden of his tainted and mentally unstable clan.

This kid, although older than she, was a scared little boy without a mind of his own.

Her eyes watered.

Kind of like her.

His eyes, curious now, wandered around hers. Searching for something, she didn't know what.

So she smiled.

* * *

With an eyebrow raised, he didn't speak to her. Why was she crying? She had been staring so intensely in his eyes. It kind of creeped him out.

The most odd thing about her eyes, though, was not the color. He grew up in Konoha, he was used to seeing the Hyūga's weird doujutsu. It was the fact that he couldn't see his reflection - it was hazy. In normal eyes, the eye reflects a picture back on the one looking in. Then again, Hyūga eyes were anything but normal.

Why is she smiling?

It was a small, warm smile and he didn't want to see it. Her lips curled into a smile that looked like his mother's whenever she looked at his father.

"You look lost."

The silence of the quiet night was broken at her equally quiet words. He seemed to understand what she was saying, but choice not to comment. He wasn't a man of words; he was a man of actions - but he had no idea how to respond to that.

"That's okay," she whispered. She noticed his muscles tense and his eyes become guarded. "I understand that feeling."

Half a breath later, the back of her head stung with a small, dull pain. Her back was against the stone wall, a faded white and red fan just above the crown of her head. On either side of her head, two muscular arms trapped her, making escape almost impossible. She sucked in a sharp breath, the forgotten yellow book slipped from her fingers, landing open against the concrete.

He hadn't expected to feel a presence, especially one so familiar, when he awoke from his nightmare. He was even more surprised to find the ex Heiress walking in his compound. What was she doing here? So late at night too?

He was completely taken aback when his body, without thinking, pinned her smaller body on the wall. His mood instantly switched from passive to slightly angered.

"What would a spoiled heiress understand about me?" He snarled.

When her wet eyes widened, he immediately wanted to take it back, but his pride made him bite his tongue. His smothering eyes narrowed at her all seeing ones.

A slim palm pressed against his bare chest. Although this wasn't the first time she's touched him without a shirt on, a very tiny pink tinge touched her cheeks. "I was never spoiled or anything over than tossed aside, nor have I been heiress since I was eleven."

He knew he should've shut his mouth. Uchiha's were just hothead and quick-tongued. The opposite from Hyūgas, who took their time in insulting someone in very sophisticated way. An apology was on the tip of his tongue, but he held it back and pushed it away.

He pushed off the wall and took a step back from her. Her chest expanded and then dropped. He tilted his head in the direction of the gate. "What are you doing here?"

Her eyes dropped to the ground, only to see the yellow book. "I was...taking a walk and heard someone...I was worried so I-I went to check...Are you okay, Sasuke-kun?"

"I'm fine," He snapped before looking away from her. "What's that?" He asked, shifting over the book to pick it up.

"Ah, n-nothing!" Jumping from the wall, her arms reached out to make a grab only to miss as he side-stepped her attempts.

He dodged her slow movements and flipped the book over to read the cover before seeing what page it was on when it was on the ground. He read a bit of it before he raised an eyebrow at her cheery red face. "'How to seduce a man?' Really, Hyūga?"

She waved her hands frantically as he smirked. "No, no! My-My cousins gave that to me and-and I didn't even r-read it!"

"Sure." He closed the book and handed it back to her.

She slowly took it back and frowned at the title. This is so embarrassing. Taiyō and Hikaru would probably laugh if she were to tell them this encounter...Why did she have such a meddling family?

"Have any candidates?" Sasuke leaned against the wall, his impressive height allowed him to tower over her while her head was just at his broad shoulders.

She gave him a look. Why was he asking? It wasn't like they were close friends at all. Maybe they could be considered friends and he didn't look interested in her answer at all...but she decided to tell him anyway.

"No..."

His eyebrow raised, "Not even your teammates?"

Hinata almost snorted. "The council doesn't approve of their clans."

His back leant against the wall while looked up to the black sky which was littered with stars. The Inuzuka and Aburame were well respected in the village, and were one of the ten top clans. Were the Hyūga really that stuck up?

"What about any of the other rookies?"

She leaned against the wall too, though not as close to him. "The council doesn't approve of any of them or their clans, except the Nara and Uzumaki, but Shikamaru-kun and Naruto are already involved. The other clans they approve of are...never mind." Her hands clutched the book tightly before leaning off the wall. "I-I should be...um, g-goin-"

Curiosity rouse him to catch her wrist and pull her back a bit. Her head turned, long hair almost slapping his pale skin. "Which clans?"

White teeth bit down on her pink lips as a blush flooded her cheeks again. "T-The, um, Nara, Uchiha, Uzumaki, Sarutobi and Senju. Okay, g-goodby-"

"Uchiha?" In his surprise, he loosened his grip, but as she pulled away, it tightened.

Gulping, Hinata glanced at him from her head's lowered position before nodding slightly. She tugged her wrist from his grip, though it was as unsuccessful as the first time. The last thing she wanted was for him, or Naruto and Shikamaru for that matter, to know that they were the only men in the village whom could save her from the Seal. She didn't know what Shikamaru would do, but Naruto would jump up and marry her that day. She lowered her eyes. But he would not be with the love of his life. He would deny it and claim his happiness, but she knew he would only do it because they were precious to each other.

Naruto's devotion to his loved one's always touched her heart, so she wasn't surprised when she felt her eyes sting. "P-Please...don't tell N-Naruto-kun..."

"Should I be flattered?"

Lavender eyes looked up to him in confusion. Should he? The Hyūga were a noble clan, like the Uchiha's had been. Their doujutsu was very impressive, and was rumored to be a branch off the Rinnegan. She wasn't the strongest, but her genes were enough to produce very talented children. She was the best fighter, but her family was. But, she wasn't the most attractive girl in the village, nor did she have anything to offer but the wide range of vision she had trained hard to get.

She gulped, "I-I'm not, not the p-p-prettiest girl. I'm certainly not t-the strongest but I know that the Hyuuga clan should be the one's who should be honored -"

His grip loosened a bit. "If you married into another clan, would be free from the Seal of the branch family?"

She was really getting tired of being cut off in the middle of her sentences, but nodded anyway. "Yes..."

He licked his lips, mulling over his thoughts.

Marrying Hinata would kill two birds with one stone. One, it would protect her from being sealed and two, most importantly, he would be able to have finally revive his clan. But she had the Byakugan.

Would their offspring have a hybrid of their doujutsu? Was there even the possibility? From everything he knew, there had never been a child to have parents of two different doujutsu. There had never been a marriage between the Uchiha or any of the noble clans either.

What if a hybrid doujutsu _was_ possible? What would be the outcome?

Something deep down in his gut, Sasuke knew if a child had it, it would be the beginning of something Earth shattering. And it wasn't a good feeling.

Why in the world was he even entertaining these thoughts? It's not like they knew each other well enough to be considered friends, let alone get married! Granted, he had known her since their childhood, but they never associated with each other at all, although their clans did go on missions together.

His thoughts were cut short when a cold palm was placed over his, trying to release his grip on her. "Sasuke-san...I-I'm sorry but it's getting late and the maids will send the g-guards..."

Without a word, still in a daze, he unwrapped his long fingers from her wrist. Hinata bid him goodnight and fled the scene before he could make another grab at her. She'd never doubt her skills, but it was plainly obvious that she stood little to no match against the ex-avenger.

After watching her leave, and feeling a bit perverted because his eyes would stray to her swaying hips and downward, Sasuke ran a hand through his already messy hair before walking the few steps into his home.

He didn't want to think about that conversation much, but unfortunately, it would keep him up all night.

* * *

A/N:

Oh my. I haven't updated in such a long time! I'm so sorry about that! My life is just up in the air! You wouldn't believe how many times I've been on this website, typing and editing! I thought I would make it longer and I guess I took a bit too long. I hope you guys accept my apologies!

I'll try to update this story and my others when I'm not crazy busy with homework, my boyfriend (whose moving soon *crying*) and practice!


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